I often say that this place still doesn't feel like an adult job. Some people call in sick 2 to 3 times a week and have remained employed for years. I also take some advantage of the way things work, I show up fairly late every day. But i'm frontline support for the company so I'm working pretty much as soon as I get in to when I leave, because lots of people depend on me to do my job.
And yeah. The attitude that he was somehow special (we often referred to my friend as "my bosses' employee" rather than as "an employee of the company") really started to piss me off the last few years, because we'd all be crazy busy and he would just often not be here and have dozens of excuses why, and why it was ok. Or would float around hanging out in people's offices for hours chatting or fucking around instead of doing any real work.
Point being is, many of us would not survive at a "regular adult job" based on how we work here, which makes this place special. It's the Island of Misfit Children, we're all quirky introverts and it takes A LOT to get straight up fired. He joins an illustrious group of about only 5 people that have ever been fired from here in 15 years. How fucking stupid do you have to be to shit on a job like that? The pay may not be stellar but the flexibility and patience around here is unlike any job I've ever had.
What's worse is I can sympathize. I was on a downward spiral myself immediately after college. I was unemployed for 3 years, living at home, being a completely worthless piece of shit spending my days playing video games, getting fat and hating existence, because I was terrified of getting a job in the real world and having to do real work. HE got me MY job here and broke the cycle, and essentially saved my ass.
And now the shoe is on the other foot. He's nearing the bottom of the spiral. If it was just emotional issues it'd be one thing. But it's the deliberate evasiveness and dishonesty I can't stand. If you're unhappy, quit. If you don't want to get vaccinated, quit. Don't lie and then steal from the very people that gave you this place of comfort like they fucking owe you something. The lying and the deception and the refusal to get vaccinated....it's all symptomatic of the same selfishness that is ruining American society right now. It makes me so fucking mad I want to punch his goddamn lights out. For disrespecting all his coworkers, and me, and making us all party to his self-centered behavior.
If anything, if you need a remote worker for whatever I'm available and quite exploitable for what your standards might be!
Why would he not get vaccinated? I mean, I know why, I just had a conversation with someone saying the Russians filmed in real time from orbit how the 9-11 terrorist attack was done with holographic planes and some kind of alien explosives that destroyed the two towers completely without leaving anything bigger than a brick somehow....
It seems he actually worked towards getting fired, does he gets a substantially bigger paycheck if fired instead of just leaving?
First of all, work is work, you NEVER bring your personal problems to work, NEVER. In fact it helps to distract yourself with work from home issues sometimes. If you cannot do that then talk to your boss, supervisor or manager and say the truth, ask for a vacation or a leave or whatever to have things sorted out.
Second, if what have you upset is the job itself then you have to do the same, talk to your boss, supervisor or manager and say the truth, see if they actually listen to you, the problems you are having, your opinions or suggestions on how to improve the conditions or work or whatever your issue is, if they don't then it's time to look for another job. In the mean time, you either do your damn job as best as you can or simply quit at once if you can afford it. Your coworkers and clientes are not at fault, well, sometimes they do, still not an excuse for doing a lousy job.
Now, if you really feel like helping, you should talk to him about all what is going on. But it seems you already done all you could. Sometimes is sad but you can't help everyone. I can empathize with him, losing my wife in one way or another would be devastating, and I have been close to it once. But even if that ever come to pass, one have to realize there's no other way but forwards. If I understand right he have people depending on him, how can one quit when someone else depends on you? He seems like he was a solid guy that lost it, or maybe he was like that always and problems made his true self arise to the surface... who knows...
The truth is that while he helped you got your job back then, you own nothing to him now, beyond what standard courtesy and friendship calls for. You might have gotten a recommendation, but if YOU weren't good on your job you would have not managed to keep it.
I would leave it cool off for a while, while making him knows I'm there to talk if he needs it, and point out in a non confrontational way that it is his own devices what brought it were he is. Might as well see a bad reaction from him but eventually if he ever hits bottom and/or regain his senses he will remember your words, who knows?
At any rate, he seems like a case for a psychologist, in need to heal things and grow up a lot.